Traditional Irish Brown Bread Recipe
This Irish brown bread recipe is packed with wholemeal flour, oat bran, wheat germ, nuts, and seeds for a hearty, nutty loaf that's perfect for breakfast or alongside soups and stews.
Servings: 12
Equipment
- 1 Loaf pan 2-pound (900 grams)
- 1 set of mixing bowls you will need 2 bowls for this recipe
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 120 grams plain flour about 1 cup
- 3 grams salt ½ teaspoon fine table salt
- 5 grams bread soda 1 teaspoon
- 210 grams wholemeal flour about 1.75 cups
- 15 grams oat bran 3 tablespoons
- 15 grams wheat germ 3 tablespoons
- 28 grams chopped walnuts ¼ cup any nuts work here
- 20 grams pumpkin seeds ⅓ cup plus more to sprinkle on top
Wet Ingredients:
- 320 milliliters buttermilk 1.3 cups
- 21 grams honey 1 tablespoon
- 30 milliliters neutral oil 2 tablespoons such as vegetable or avocado oil
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) or gas mark 4.
- Lightly oil a loaf tin or use a tin liner to prevent sticking.
- Sift the plain flour, bread soda, and salt into a large bowl. Sifting introduces air and helps the bread rise.120 grams plain flour, 3 grams salt, 5 grams bread soda
- Add in the wholemeal flour (it's usually too coarse to sift, but try if you can). Add the oat bran, wheat germ, chopped walnuts, and pumpkin seeds. Stir everything together well.210 grams wholemeal flour, 15 grams oat bran, 15 grams wheat germ, 28 grams chopped walnuts, 20 grams pumpkin seeds
- In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, honey, oil, and egg until smooth.320 milliliters buttermilk, 21 grams honey, 30 milliliters neutral oil, 1 large egg
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don't overmix. The batter should be fairly wet and sticky.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle with more pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, and a drizzle of honey if you like.
- Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown and well risen. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
- When it comes out of the oven, wrap the loaf in a clean tea towel to cool. This helps avoid an overly hard crust. Leave wrapped for at least 15-20 minutes before slicing.
Video
Notes
Notes
Buttermilk substitute: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 320 milliliters (1.3 cups) of milk. Let sit for 5 minutes before using. You can also use kefir. Nut-free option: Omit the walnuts and use extra pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead. The tea towel trick: Wrapping the hot bread in a tea towel traps steam and softens the crust slightly as it cools. This is a traditional Irish technique and makes a real difference. Storage:Room temperature: Store wrapped in a tea towel or airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Slice and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Toast slices straight from frozen. Nutritional Calculations:
I used full fat dairy buttermilk, vegetable oil, and walnuts for the nutrition analysis. Top Tips:
- Don't overmix the batter. Stir just until combined
- Wrap the bread in a tea towel as soon as it comes out of the oven
- Use room temperature ingredients for best results
- Let the bread cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing
